OOPS, I did it again!

I have committment issues, it seems.   I've redesigned my logo, banners, and avatars for my blog, my Facebook page and my Etsy and ArtFire pages.  This is the 5th time (at least!) in four years.  Sheesh....

I've been obsessed with the color combination of gray and berry.   (Since I've decided to embrace my natural "silver" haircolor, I find that berry is one of my new colors that look good with my coloring.  So why not incorporate it in other areas of my life?)

The pale gray heart on my banner represents a motif I use in my sterling silver wire jewelry.   I "drew" it (my first vector graphic image!) using a free program called Inkscape.  I then put the banners/avatars together using another free program called GIMP. 

Feel free to chime in.  Is the gray too bland?  Is the pink too "Barbie"?  Or does it look okay? 

Why ArtFire Rocks!

I love ArtFire.  Of all the online venues where I have a presence, ArtFire is my favorite - hands down.  Here's why, in no particular order:

1)  Cost:  There's a fixed monthly rate.  No listing fees, no fees when items sell.  No hidden, unexpected costs.   This makes it very easy to budget. 

2)  Knowledge Base:  The forum, the Help Guides, the Inside Handmade podcasts -- all excellent.  The education I'm receiving about search engine optimization (SEO) and social media (loved the Social Media Bootcamp series) alone is worth the cost.

3)  The "Admin":  The folks who run ArtFire actively participate in the forum discussions.  Getting a straight answer couldn't be easier.

4)  Selling:  People have found my items via Google and purchased them.  While shoppers are welcome to sign up to join the ArtFire community, they are not required to do so in order to purchase. 

5)  Really cool stuff:   Okay, I've been writing from the perspective of a seller, but let's face it:  I'm a shopper too.   ArtFire features some of the most amazing handcrafted items, vintage items, and crafting/art supplies. 

Another Book I'm Enjoying: 30 Minute Earrings by Marthe LeVan

I literally spend hours at my local Barnes & Noble. I especially love to peruse the art & craft books while sipping coffee at the B&N cafe and attempting to narrow my selection to one or two books.


I really liked 30 Minute Earrings by Marthe LeVan. This book features 60 earring projects, each from a different artist -- all created in 30 minutes or less.

Really cool earrings, too: some made from recycled materials (automobile license plates, VHS tapes -- I kid you not!), others made from traditional materials, others made from budget friendly items.

I also like how the top of each project lists exactly what skills are needed to complete the project. If you don't solder, for example, you can skip ahead to the next project.

That said, my first attempt at one of the projects took about 100 minutes (85 for the first earring, 15 for the second) -- talk about a learning curve! Once I figured it out, though I was zipping along.

If you're looking for out-of-the-box ideas, consider this book. It's available at B&N, Amazon, and I'm sure other places.

I received my Certified Handmade designation on ArtFire.com!

I was recently awarded my ArtFire Certified Handmade Artifact. What does this mean?


It means, I've been a PRO member of ArtFire for at least 60 days. (Since October 2010, actually.)

It means I'm in good standing with ArtFire.com, including no outstanding cases concerning non-delivery of product, no outstanding cases concerning mis-representation of products for sale, no outstanding cases concerning other violations of the ArtFire Terms of Use.  (Never had any outstanding cases.)

It means my ArtFire studio is complete and contains an avatar, a banner, complete studio policies, and a bio with photo.

Most of all, it means that 100% of the items in my ArtFire studio are personally handmade by me.

To visit my ArtFire studio, click here.

So I'm Reading This Book.....

It's called How to Start a Home-Based Jewelry Making Business by Maire Loughran.  It's chock full (yeah, there's a term I use a lot - not!) of information about transitioning from hobbyist to business owner.   It's available online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.   It's also available on Google Books .

It's inspired me to get serious about the business side of my work and I've been researching sole proprietorship versus LLC, taxes, accounting, etc.   Ever read so much info you feel like your head is going to explode?   That's me.